Every machine limit, material and tolerance we work to, written down so you can check a job before you draw it. If something sits outside these numbers, ask anyway, because most edge cases are workable, and we would rather talk it through than turn it away.
| Material | Machine | Max thickness | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plywood | CNC + laser | 45 mm CNC / 6 mm laser | Birch ply and formply are the everyday work. Laser leaves a charred edge; the router leaves a clean one. |
| MDF | CNC + laser | 45 mm CNC / 6 mm laser | Routs cleanly and takes paint well. Standard and moisture-resistant grades both fine. |
| Acrylic and Perspex | CNC + laser | 45 mm CNC / 6 mm laser | Cast grades cut with a polished edge. Extruded can craze, so cast is the safer choice. |
| Solid timber | CNC | 45 mm | Must be flat and dry. Cupped or twisted boards cannot be held down reliably on a vacuum bed. |
| Veneer board | CNC + laser | 45 mm CNC / 6 mm laser | Tell us which face shows and we set the cut direction to protect it from breakout. |
| Foam and composites | CNC | 45 mm | Pattern work, packing inserts and layered forms cut in stages to depth. |
| Card and paper | Laser | 6 mm | Cut and score in one pass, so a flat sheet folds into a box or model. |
| Leather and textiles | Laser | 6 mm | Cut and etch. Synthetics seal at the edge as they cut. PVC-based materials cannot go in the laser. |
| Metals | Neither | Not cut | We do not cut aluminium, steel or brass. Ask and we will point you to a fibre laser or waterjet. |
Two workshops, one file. We move a job to whichever machine suits it.
Blackburn · CNC machining
| Bed size | 2700 × 1200 mm |
|---|---|
| Maximum thickness | 45 mm |
| Cutting tolerance | ±0.2 mm |
| Standard tooling | 6 mm and 8 mm compression |
| Smallest internal radius | 3 mm |
| Axes | Three |
| Operations | Profile cuts, pockets, rebates, drilling, V-groove |
Richmond · Laser cutting
| Bed size | 1000 × 700 mm |
|---|---|
| Maximum cut thickness | 6 mm |
| Maximum engrave thickness | 50 mm |
| Kerf | 0.2 mm nominal |
| Cutting tolerance | ±0.1 mm |
| Cuts metal | No, non-metals only |
| Operations | Through-cutting, engraving, etching, scoring |
Over 6 mm and needing a through-cut, it goes on the router. Under 6 mm, the laser is more accurate and holds finer detail than a 6 mm tool can reach.
Any part larger than 1000 × 700 mm has to go on the router bed, whatever its thickness.
Cast acrylic comes off the laser polished. Ply and MDF come off the router clean, and off the laser slightly charred. Say which matters and we choose accordingly.
DXF, DWG, AI, EPS, SVG, STEP, PDF. Up to 10 MB per quote request.
1:1 scale, closed paths, no duplicate lines. Cut and engrave on separate layers.
A sketch or a dimensioned photograph is enough to start. We will draw from it.
We fix open paths, nest for yield, and flag kerf and fixing issues before cutting.
Laser cutting 3–5 business days, CNC machining 5–7 business days, from quote approval. Express by arrangement.
Machine time is $3 per minute on the CNC and $2 per minute on the laser. No minimum quantity, and a single part is a normal job. Minimum charge $450 for CNC machining, $250 for laser cutting.
You supply the sheet. We do not hold stock, so the grade and finish are your choice.
Pickup from either workshop by appointment, courier across Melbourne, freight Australia-wide.
Send the drawing and name the material. If the job sits outside these limits, send it anyway and we will tell you what is possible.
Request a quote